Infinite Reach
by crazylegs579
Summary: SPARTAN-B312 doesn't have any recollection of his past before he enlisted in the SPARTAN-III program. After his final stand on Reach, he is unknowingly given a second chance to remember who he was before he became a SPARTAN-III.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I've taken a super long hiatus… perhaps too long. Life has certainly taken an interesting direction, and now I find myself in a position that I never imagined I would be in. In short terms, life is good. I am sorry for the long absence, but I assure you it was necessary. **

**As for this story, I found some inspiration to write it seeing as Halo: Reach released earlier this month remastered in 4K HDR 60 FPS. I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but it seems to be doing well despite some technical issues. Also, I recently revisited Infinite Stratos and thoroughly enjoyed watching it as if I was doing so for the first time. For whatever reason, I was thinking about how the IS and the MJOLNIR could somehow be integrated (not physically, rather fanfiction-wise) into a crossover fic. This is a result of this thought process. I hope you enjoy it! Please leave any feedback as I will consult it as I type along, but I ask that it be constructive rather than negative. Onto the story!**

Lone Wolf

_There'll be another time…_

August 30, 2552

Planet Reach

2000 Hours

He was reassigned to Noble Team for a reason. His skills as a hyper-lethal SPARTAN-III had impressed Colonel Urban Holland enough to replace the former Noble Six, Thom-A293. After having arrived at his first assignment with Noble Team, the new Noble Six was told by the commanding officer Carter-A259 that the "'lone wolf' stuff stays behind."

How ironic that he finds himself in this situation currently.

Over the course of the month, Noble Team had been reduced to just Six as far as he knew. He had no idea if Three was still alive seeing as the Covenant pretty much conquered the entire planet and glassed most of it by now. What he had been told to leave behind had resurfaced once again. A feeling of familiarity, though with a tinge of sadness. He didn't think it would happen, but he had grown to like his former teammates in the short time that they had worked together. They were fast, efficient, deadly. Perfect compliments to his skillset. He had grown to like the feeling of teamwork, and even developed a friendship with Five, seeing as he was the most social. But in this war, many things do not last for long. Over the course of Six's twelve-year career, he has seen many soldiers go down at the hands of the Covenant as well as civilians. He had grown used to the sight of death which benefited him as a former ONI assassin.

Loneliness is not foreign to the Spartan. He thrives in it. Yet, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind… a sense of familiarity, like he had somehow lived a previous life before this one. A life surrounded by friends and family; love. Though, that feeling quickly disappeared when he opened his eyes to gaze upon the scene before him.

The ground was saturated with dried blood, a testament to those who had made their final stand here. Apparently, Six wasn't the only one who thought this area was an ideal location to go out with a bang. Wisps of sand blew across the terrain, carrying the stench of death and permeating the landscape; the wind being a result of the dark storms that raged in the skies above. Carbon scoring decorated the metallic UNSC structures that were spread across the land, some having taken damage. Bodies of Spartans with various modifications to their armor, Marines and Army infantry lay in various positions on the ground all around lifeless. Despite the sight being nothing short of horrific, it did not deter Six's resolve. He was indeed tired. It was in this moment that he realized that Spartans were not invincible, though the UNSC dare not convey that to the general public. He could recall back to the days of his training in Beta Company where he was constantly pushed beyond his limits that was too much for his young body, though the war did not call for rest. The SPARTAN-IIIs were all mostly comprised of orphaned children courtesy of the Covenant, as well as any volunteers who could withstand such grueling training. Six remembers how the UNSC would brainwash everyone into believing that the augmentations would make them invincible, and that they would have their revenge granted that they made it through training. The super soldiers did get their promised revenge, but the deception of invulnerability cost them the ultimate sacrifice.

Six had made an impression on Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose, a SPARTAN-II. Six had been pulled out of training with Beta Company and reassigned to ONI just prior to OPERATION: TORPEDO. There, he was given the rank of Ensign as well as his MJOLNIR Mark IV armor. He was one of the lucky few that lived long enough to see just how well the armor complimented the augmented soldier. In his time with ONI, he had killed many Insurrectionists, made entire rebel groups disappear, and was even a personal "grim reaper" to an ONI official. Just shortly after he promoted to Lieutenant did he receive the upgraded Mark V armor. Despite the numerous beneficial upgrades, the one truth remained…

Spartans are not invincible.

Six had not slept at all for the past week, and what little sleep he did get was only thanks to a medically induced sedative that barely managed to put him to sleep. On top of fighting the Covenant constantly from one engagement to the next, his body was starting to take its toll. Did that mean he was going to give up? Absolutely not. And the opportunity to show that to his enemies seemed to arrive at the perfect time as he noticed several banshees scouting the area over the horizon. No doubt they had discovered his location, because not two minutes later did he see several Phantoms and Spirits making their way to his position. Closing his eyes, he took the little time he had to take several deep breaths in and out of his augmented body with the intent of refocusing his mind, to bring forth the mental fortitude necessary to hone his skills that ultimately gave him his hyper-lethal rating. After a minute of his breathing, he opened his eyes and noticed that several Grunts and Elite Minors had deployed onto the land around him. Checking his DMR over one last time, he saw the indicator displaying the number fifteen. He took out the clip to check to see that the bullets were fed into the cartridge correctly before he put it back in. Taking his index finger, he wiped the lens of the scope that had grains of dust all over it and looked through it. Seeing that he was ready, he began taking steps forward.

He knew he was going to die here. The odds of surviving this engagement were slim to none. And seeing that he was quite possibly one of the very few Spartans left, he was certain the Elites were ready to claim their honor and glory in battle by killing him. Six had pretty much signed his death warrant when he decided to stay behind and protect the Pillar of Autumn, his only method of escape from Reach, from taking damage and ensuring the delivery of the precious cargo he was tasked with handing to Captain Jacob Keyes. He was going to die alone, and very few would acknowledge his existence, a thought that he found comforting. His file was covered in so much black ink, anyone who acknowledged his existence without the proper security clearance would've either been assassinated or detained in an asylum. Though, that feeling of a second life had resurfaced in the back of his mind. He had felt this feeling before, when he had enlisted in the SPARTAN-III program. It was odd that it would come back now, of all times.

That was unimportant however, as he heard footsteps nearby of mixed timbres combined with the crunch of the ground with each step. Taking cover in one of the small metallic structures, he scavenged some ammunition for his DMR from the body of another Spartan, putting it into his pouch attached to his waist. The Grunts and Elites were making haste, eager to find the Spartan and put an end to his pathetic human existence. Six could see that bloodlust consumed them, overtaking caution. He would use that to his advantage. As one Grunt came close to his position, he stepped out into the field and took aim with his trigger finger on the firing mechanism. With one pull of the finger as well as one shot to the head, the Grunt quickly met his end with the ground, fresh violet blood coating the earth. The loud signature crack of the DMR alerted the others to Six's position, running at full speed towards him. Taking aim once more, he fired perfect shots with ease, taking down most of the Grunts as plasma rounds impacted his shields. Forced to take cover, he went back inside the metallic structure to await recharge. Once he saw his shield gauge return to full, he went back outside and came point-blank with an Elite Minor, taking his combat knife and embedding it into the Sangheilli's neck as it roared a shout of rage and pain. With a sharp pull of the knife, the wound enlarged to the point that too much blood was being lost effectively ending the Elite's life. Looking behind him, he saw another Minor and fired several rounds into the creature's shields before they discharged, giving him the opportunity to use his knife again as he stabbed the Minor in the chest, turned him around and snapped his neck.

Six's shields went down due to a plasma grenade exploding in proximity, forcing him to take cover once again. He was getting sloppy, and he knew it, too. What did not help was that there was a visible crack in his visor, causing him to lose his motion tracker. Despite the slight disadvantage given to him, he did not let it deter him as he stepped outside once again when his shields recharged and ran full speed towards the Minor that caused the damage. Firing four rounds, the Minor's shields dissipated as Six knee-slid on the ground behind the Elite, bashing the creature's left leg forcing him to kneel, and grabbed the plasma rifle with his left hand. The Spartan dug the weapon into the Minor's neck and fired several bolts of plasma, scorching the alien's skin and ending his life.

An hour had passed of constant fighting with Minors, Grunts, and the occasional Major. While Six made effective work of them, it still didn't help that his body was starting to wear down. Taking another look into the horizon, he saw Phantoms and Spirits dropping off a new wave of reinforcements, this time consisting of more Majors, as well as some Ultras, but only a few Grunts. His work was cut out for him, but he was always up for a challenge. A few plasma grenades had made their way towards him, forcing him to run to cover. However, the grenades were all spread out in a way that no matter where he ran the explosions would still damage his armor. The resulting blast cause his visor to crack again, and he noticed that he could no longer see the weapons he had in his possession nor the current ammo counter as well as his grenade inventory. The shield emitters were also starting to lose their effectiveness as well, since his health bar decreased in size and changed to yellow. Taking out his spare health kit, he took out the bio foam and applied it to his wounds causing the health bar to fill and return to its original blue hue. The bio foam was a temporary relief for combat wounds until proper medical treatment could be obtained, but in this case, it was only prolonging the inevitable. Six put away the health kit in the pouch attached to his leg and took hold of his DMR. Checking his pouch, he took a count of his total ammo. Despite the numerous bodies around him carrying a wealth of bullets, he was starting to get low from the constant firing of his weapon. Not paying it any mind, he resumed his bloodbath against the newly arrived Grunts before diverting his attention towards the Elites, using more melee attacks as well as their own weapons in order to compensate for his low inventory of ammo. Another thirty minutes passed before he saw more reinforcements arrive before he could even finish off the current wave of Covenant. Taking a quick glance, he saw many Zealots armed with Concussive Rifles and Energy Swords running towards him. Six made haste and killed the Ultra in front of him before analyzing his current surroundings. He was being surrounded, and his opportunities to escape from the firefight were becoming slimmer. Accepting his fate, Six aimed an energy pistol at one of the Zealots, firing a charged shot that caused the Sangheilli's shields to drop. Taking his DMR, he effectively killed the creature before moving onto the next one. Taking note of the death of their comrade, the other Zealots rolled out of the way to avoid being shot by the energy pistol and meeting the same fate as their fellow Zealot. Six threw a couple of fragmentation grenades to the right and left to compensate for the unit's spread to achieve maximum explosion radius effectiveness. The hasty tactic worked, causing some damage to the unit's shields as he reloaded his DMR before unloading more rounds into all their shields. With them all down, he took them out one by one with a plasma rifle, but not before one of the Zealots managed to slice the scorching tips of their plasma sword into Six's arm, causing his shields to drop to fifty percent as well as flinching from the sharp pain. More Zealots began to pour into the area, this time being accompanied by Generals and Field Marshalls.

Another hour had passed by, and Six knew his armor was going to fail. There were holds adorned in several places on his body, with the shields barely recharging to fifty percent each time they discharged. He was on his last canister of bio foam, with only a grenade left as well as an assault rifle and a magnum. His visor was cracked to the point he almost couldn't see clearly in front him, and his movements were slow with execution. He took another hit from a plasma bolt, which shattered his shields and caused the shield emitters to short out. His visor cracked, creating a visible hole that revealed a small part of his face. Seeing as the helmet was completely useless, Six discarded it onto the ground before walking forward amongst the pile of bodies that surrounded him, a testament to his strength. Several Zealots and Field Marshalls fired plasma bolts at him, causing blood to spew out of his body as he carelessly fired his assault rifle in one hand in one direction, and his magnum in the other hand in the other direction. A needle from a Needler made its way into his chest before it exploded, the ensuing pain forcing him to drop his Magnum. Engaging one of the Zealots in hand-to-hand combat, Six bashed the creature's head with his own, knocking the Elite back. He took his assault rifle and fired into his stomach, causing blood to spray onto the ground. Another Zealot had shot Six in the back and hit him with his weapon, forcing the Spartan onto the ground. Firing upwards towards his assailants, he made sure to give every bit of energy he had to cause as much death as he could before his inevitable end that would no doubt come at any moment now. The assault rifle jammed, forcing him to discard it and kick the Elite that jumped at him with a plasma dagger. The other Zealot pulled out his energy sword, and with one swift movement jabbed the weapon into Six's stomach. The searing pain forced him to cease all movements, his mind only focusing on the sword embedded in his body. The Elites laughed in mockery as they had finally achieved taking down the Spartan. Satisfied that the human wouldn't make any other attempt to kill them, the Zealot removed his sword and walked away towards a nearby Phantom, the others following suit as the Spartan bled out.

Six's breathing at first was erratic, but soon began to calm down as he laid his head on the ground and looked at the skies above him. He could see several Covenant assault carriers hovering above Reach's landscape as they were no doubt waiting for all their forces in the region below to return to the ships before they began their glassing. In that moment, Six's life flashed before his very eyes as he went back to the beginning, the earliest memory he has of this world.

He had no memories prior to him waking up on an unknown planet that evoked beauty in its nature. The skies, the grass, the trees; everything about this planet was perfect. He remembered waking up in a field of grass, with a brisk wind blowing over his body and along the plains. Opening his eyes, he raised himself up off the ground, sitting and observing his surroundings. He had no idea how he got there, as he looked down at his body and saw he was wearing a pair of black pants, black shoes and a gray shirt. Sifting through his mind, he couldn't think of what his name was, or how old he was. His lack of memories only caused confusion as he tried to figure out what his next move should be. Not one minute later though, did he hear a loud noise in the distance. Looking up, he saw a beam of light that led into the sky. Up above, he found the source of the mysterious light, being a large object that seemed to be floating above the earth. Looking back down, he observed closely and noticed that his beam of light was destroying the land below it. Alarmed, he stood up quickly and soon heard a plethora of screams nearby. Turning his head towards the sounds, he spotted a small town comprised of mostly two to three-story buildings, as well as many people running about in chaos. Seeing as there could be someone there who could help him out, and that he should leave the area as soon as possible, he ran towards the town. He hoped he could find the help and answers he needed. When he arrived, the metallic streets were swarmed by the citizens as they made their way to the shuttles. People were filling them to the brim, desperate to escape the beam of light. Deciding that he should do the same, he went ahead and snuck aboard one of the shuttles. As it lifted off the ground, he saw that many people were still on the ground, rushing to get off the planet. The earth started to form visible cracks as a red hue filled them, with intense heat pouring out of them. Many of the citizens fell victim to the searing heat as they cried out in pain before their lives were ended by the glassing. He could look no more as he turned around and looked above out the window and saw that they were headed into space. Several minutes had passed when the shuttle came to a halt with a thud, and the shuttle doors opened, revealing a very large hangar. The frigates surrounding the planet had begun taking refugees before entering slip space and headed to another planet.

The boy could make sense of what some of the things he saw were, such as the weapons the soldiers carried as well as their armor, but had never seen such technology before, including the shuttle. It seemed his mind did remember some things after all. However, the concept of being in space and in a structure that had artificial gravity was completely foreign to him. Deciding that trying to figure all of this out was going to cause him too much of a headache, he simply opted for going along with this newfound adventure he had unwillingly embarked upon. It wasn't until a day later did he find himself landing on a new planet, with nowhere to go. In the past twenty-four hours, he did some research at his computer inside of his temporary quarters and learned of his current predicament. The year was 2540, and humanity was engaged in a war with an alien alliance called the Covenant and has been since 2525. The boy then read all the news his brain could handle, seeing how ruthless the Covenant were. Looking back at what he saw earlier, he couldn't help but feel disgust that there were beings out there who would want to kill off another race based on their beliefs. In the end, when he heard that there was a program that was launch by the UNSC on Reach that was looking for volunteers to fight the Covenant, he decided to join. He figured that being in the SPARTAN-III program would help him learn more information about this mysterious world he found himself in, and hopefully jog his memories to remember his past.

To this day, he still couldn't figure out where he was from, and his time was running out.

_Spartans never die… they're just missing in action._

Heh.

He remembered overhearing Dr. Catherine Halsey saying that to someone at ONI. Oh, how stupid that saying was. But it did serve its purpose. Exhausted from the engagement with the waves of Covenant, he was about to resign himself to his fate when he saw a large object underneath one of the bodies next to him. It was another Spartan, his midsection protruding upward indicating that he was lying on top of something. Deciding that this object was of interest, Six scooted himself over to the body before giving it a good push. Surprise replaced the look of pain on the Spartan's face as he saw the last thing he expected to see.

A FURY tactical nuke. Now, he could really go out with a bang. If he was going to die, then he was going to take the Covenant forces around him with him. Checking to see that the WMD still worked, he touched the screen, which prompted the device to beep. Luckily, the device was not damaged. Pressing the arming button, the screen displayed a question asking the user if the action inputted was the desired one. Pressing the button again, the screen started to display a countdown. Looking back up into the sky, Six sighed as he concluded that he could finally rest. Though he never found the answers he was looking for, he consoled himself by thinking that it was probably better that he never knew anyway, that way he wouldn't have any regrets for something that he knew.

But there was that feeling again. That feeling of a second life…

The FURY nuke hit zero, and exploded, causing the surrounding area to flash a bright white light as anyone who was caught in the explosion radius was reduced to ash. As for Six, his vision turned white before he could no longer feel anything.

…

…

…

…

"SPARTAN-B312… My, you certainly have proven yourself to be hyper-lethal… I only know of one other who has that rating…"

"Make no mistake, you have died, and you have left the world you were in. Or, shall I say universe… I cannot send you back, but I can send you home. Back to your own universe, where you belong, with a chance at a 'second life'. Only, the life you led as a Spartan was your second life. The life you left in your universe was your first. "

"Consider this as repayment for your service… what you did for me. For all of humanity, passing the torch. You did not live long enough to see it, but you indirectly caused humanity to win the war. And we all cannot thank you enough for it. This is a one-time opportunity, though. So, do not waste it, Spartan-B312."

"Welcome home… Ichika."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey readers! I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while. Work has been quite busy lately. I've already received some good feedback on this story in the form of favorites, follows, and reviews! I really appreciate it. **

**Imaginary Guy117: I wasn't clear on what I said in the last chapter, so I apologize. I've had the Xbox 360 version of Halo: Reach on my Xbox One S, as well as the MCC for a while now. I've been playing the MCC version, and I had a fun experience. Thank you for your input! I definitely knew what you meant as soon I was thrown into my first match of Title Update. It sucked ass, but it was still fun lol.**

**RynnaD: I understand the concern of Noble Six becoming a student at the IS Academy, as that seems to be the norm of other Halo fanfics, or other crossover fics in general. Rest assured, I did not plan on incorporating that into this story. I have something better planned. Thank you for your input! **

**Now, onward to the next chapter!**

Moving On

Five years. It had been five years since his disappearance. It wasn't easy for her having to live with the pain and regret of losing the one thing that drove her in life, the one person she loved with all of her being. She missed him dearly, but at this point she had moved on, coming to accept that he was gone. It still didn't stop her from visiting the bar every now and then to have a drink or two.

When he disappeared, she developed a horrible addiction to alcohol, either buying it from the store and drinking it all away in one night or going to a bar and having several drinks to make the pain go away. Luckily, her friends were not about to let her destroy her career or let her die, so they sought counseling for her and forced her to go. At first she resisted, but later on found it to be beneficial as it helped her get back on track. She knew she wasn't alone in grief. The others that knew him were suffering as well. Reality finally clicked for her when she saw his name engraved in stone, said stone resting in a beautiful meadow.

Earlier today she had gone to visit his grave, sitting on the grass as she stared at his name with a bouquet of flowers in her hand. She reminisced of the good times that he and she shared, as well as the traits that made him who he was. She remembered how she would pick him up from school, walking home together while making a stop at an ice cream stand. She remembered how he cheered her up so easily with just his infectious smile whenever she was feeling down or tired. He was also a hard worker, courtesy of her raising him to be respectful, and to be self-sufficient, which he was pretty much by ten years old. She would come home from school or work and the house would be clean, not a speck of dust anywhere. Dinner would already be prepared for her, and the bath was filled with hot water. She truly did appreciate everything he did just to make her happy.

But, she regretted not showing that to him more. She was stern, and often scolded him about certain things, pushing him to be the best person he could be. She thought back through all the times that they had spent together… she realized that she never really properly thanked him for his work, nor did she praise it. Yet, that never deterred him. She truly didn't deserve someone like him. And now… he isn't here for her to tell him just how much she loved him and how much he means the world to her… something she never really expressed to him either. She wished she could change that.

After her visit, her next destination was the bar. She was able to finish her paperwork at the IS Academy allowing her to have a relaxing weekend. Parking the car in the lot, she made her way to the front door. Upon entering, the light from the sunset quickly disappeared as the window shades filtered it, and the walls prevented any of it from getting through. The atmosphere of the bar was very classy, fit for someone such as herself. The lights were dim, but bright enough to see where she was walking. Her feet naturally led her to the counter where she sat on a stool and awaited service. Since it was calm, it did not take long until the bartender noticed he had a customer waiting.

"Miss Orimura, nice to see you. The usual?" the bartender asked.

"You as well. Please," Chifuyu replied as she smiled towards the man, patiently waiting for her drink. While the bartender occupied himself with preparing her drink, the young woman took out her phone to observe the time, noting that it was 8pm.

'She's late,' Chifuyu thought to herself as she put the device back in her pocket. It seemed to be perfect timing, because right when she finished that thought, she heard the front doors open. Turning her head to observe, she saw a woman with short green hair and glasses walk in with a sense of urgency in her steps and on her face.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late, I had a bit of trouble finding parking," Maya Yamada said, hoping that her coworker wouldn't be too upset about it.

"It's fine. I just got here not too long ago myself."

"Here you go, ma'am. And for you, miss?" the bartender asked as he handed Chifuyu her drink.

"Same thing she's having," Maya replied with a smile. Nodding his head, he set off to prepare the same drink for her. Taking her seat next to her coworker, Maya sighed in relief as she let her back sink into the backrest. All the paperwork she had to take care of today at the IS Academy certainly gave her more headaches than she could count, and there was no doubt there would be more next week. Luckily, she was in the same position as Chifuyu as she managed to finish what she had to leaving her weekend open to relaxation.

"How are you doing, Chifuyu?" Maya inquired, trying to get a conversation started.

"I'm doing well. How about yourself?" Chifuyu replied, taking a sip of her drink causing her cheeks to have a tint of red painted on them.

"Oh, you know. The usual. Thankfully I managed to get my work done, leaving this weekend open! I can finally catch up on some sleep!"

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm in the same boat as you."

"That's awesome!" The bartender arrived with Maya's drink, presenting it to her as she thanked him. After taking his leave, she looked at her coworker and noticed the somber expression adorning her face. "Did you go visit him today?"

"…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."

"No, it's okay. I did. The bouquet of flowers I left there last time were a little withered, so I replaced them with some new ones."

"That's good."

"Yeah… five years today."

"Sorry?"

"It's been five years since he…" Feeling guilty for bringing up such a sore subject, Maya mentally berated herself for bringing this up when this was supposed to be a relaxing night out.

"I'm sorry, Chifuyu. Let's talk about something else, okay?" The Mondo Grosso champion turned her head to look at her and gave her a small smile, adding a nod to confirm her agreement. "So, any guys that you have taken an interest in?"

"Please, Maya. As if I have time for such things."

"Oh, come on! You're such a beautiful woman! I've seen how many guys have hit on you, hoping to have a chance to take you out on a date! Surely you would've accepted at least one of their offers!"

"Maya, you know that they're after me for my fame. That, and just want to have sex with me."

"Well, I can't argue with that, but I'm sure that there's at least one guy out there for you."

"No. None of them meet my standards."

"And just what are your standards, Chifuyu?"

"Hardworking, kind and caring towards everyone, and always does everything he can to make his significant other happy."

"I see." A moment of silence passed between them as both women took a couple of sips of their drinks. "How are Houki and Rin doing?"

"For the most part, they're doing well. Much better than five years ago, that's for sure. We stay in touch."

"That's good. You heard from Tabane recently?"

"Yeah… always giving me a headache… although she did call me about a couple of days ago, rambling on about how there were some strange anomalies that she was tracking that were occurring in the skies above Japan."

"Really? That's weird. Is it anything to be concerned about?"

"According to her, no. Though, she's keeping an eye on them just in case."

"Does she know what kind of anomalies?"

"She doesn't have a definitive answer, but she did say that if it wasn't anything strange that it was probably just her equipment needing readjustments. Seeing as how she invented the IS, I highly doubt that's the case."

"Yeah. Still, that's interesting. Hopefully it's nothing bad and it'll pass."

"Hopefully…"

Both women had a couple drinks followed by water so that they would be sober enough to drive to their respective residences. As they bid farewell to each other, Chifuyu got into her car and began driving back home. On the way, her mind drifted off to thoughts of him, thinking of the traits that made his character, including his smile, voice, laugh, and physical features. She longed to see all of that, though wishing such a thing was impossible at this point. Sighing, she knew that once again she would come face-to-face with reality as when she got home Chifuyu knew that nobody would be there to greet her with loving, welcoming arms as much as she wanted that.

Parking the car in the driveway, she entered the large home that had been occupied by her, albeit rarely due to her job requiring her to stay at the academy, for the past five years. Taking off her shoes she made her way upstairs into her bedroom. Heading into the bathroom, she turned on the water for the bathtub and set it to heat up. Taking off her clothes, she threw them in the hamper not caring to wash them now. As she waited for the water to heat up, Chifuyu looked at herself in the mirror in all her naked glory. Eyeing herself up and down, all she could see was someone who was lonely. Someone who was supposedly strong, the woman who piloted the first-generation IS, and winner of the first Mondo Grosso. Yet, with all that power she supposedly had, she couldn't save him. How flawed she was. Shaking her head of the negative thoughts, she saw that the water was producing steam, giving her the indication that the bath was ready. Shutting off the water and plugging the drain, she stepped in as warmth encompassed her body. The heat was very relieving as it soothed her muscles. Lying back against the wall, she closed her eyes and allowed her heartbeat to slow down considerably, putting her in a relaxed, almost meditative state.

….

….

_The following Monday…_

Of all people, why did it have to be him?

His loving personality did not deserve the fate that was brought upon him. She missed him dearly. She blamed her older sister since the invention of the IS caused both of them to move away. She never once got a chance to express the feelings that she had for him, or rather still has for him. It started off as a simple crush as they spent a lot of time together when they were children, both practicing kendo in their free time as well as doing other leisurely activities such as going to arcades, walking around parks, or going to eat at a restaurant. Ever since his disappearance, she kept contact with Chifuyu since she took it the hardest. How she would give anything to have him back.

Yes, Houki Shinonino, younger sister of Tabane, the inventor of the IS, was in love with Ichika Orimura. Though, without said person being here to receive her affections, what was the point? Still, her resolve to keep her feelings was as strong as steel.

It was summertime, meaning that she had a lot of spare time to contemplate her life and her love. She had just taken the qualifying entrance exams for the IS Academy and naturally passed with flying colors. Beyond that, she was just mentally preparing herself for attending the school. Today was move-in day for the students, causing the campus to be flooded with young girls who were all eager to not only see the school with their parents, but to make new friends and see what classes they were in. This whole week was dedicated for such activities, right before school started the following week. For Houki, she was only interested in finding her room and getting to know the location of her class. She wasn't ready to make new friends yet as she had so few she truly felt close to. Because of her moving around a lot, she had gotten used to not making conversation with other students since she wouldn't have seen them for long before she transferred to another school. While her stay here at the IS Academy was guaranteed, her thoughts on the matter remained the same.

Since the rooms were already furnished, all that the students were responsible for bringing were clothes, toiletries and hygiene, and any personal items that they wished to have, as well as note-taking materials. As soon as she arrived, she marveled at the sheer size of the campus, mainly the large tower at the center of the island. Luckily for her, no outside organizations or governments could interfere with a student's studies here. In other words, she was safe here. As she walked to the dormitories, she noted how clean the walkways were, the clean trim of the bushes and trees, as well as the smell of freshly cut grass. There were also holographic signs on the ground directing students where to go.

Wanting to avoid the crowd of girls that were occupying the walkways, she made haste to the dormitory, browsing each door sign for her room number. After several minutes of searching, she found her room and unlocked it using the key that was issued to her. Inserting the key and pushing forth the door, she was impressed by the cleanliness and size of the room. In it was a full kitchen to the immediate right, with the bathroom being to the left. The only amenities provided in the bathroom however was a shower and a sink. It seemed that the toilets were shared amongst the entire dorm. She then proceeded into the main area of the room and put her bags down by the bed next to the windows, which provided an excellent view of the academy. There were two beds, each assigned a desk and a computer. Between the two beds was a large board that pulled out of the wall with the purpose of adding privacy between the two students. Seeing that now was a good time as any, she took out her IS Academy standard-issue uniform and proceeded to undress herself, replacing the jeans and white cotton t-shirt she wore with the school uniform. Looking herself over in the mirror, she was satisfied that she looked clean.

'Well, seems like my roommate isn't here yet. I have the place all to myself for now,' Houki thought as she contemplated on what to do next. Seeing as she brought her kendo sticks, she naturally wanted a place where she could practice. Setting her mind on her next task, she left the room in search of the fitness center. She took out a map and followed the directions indicated on it. A few minutes later, she found her desired destination and saw that there was indeed a kendo dojo which was the perfect place for her to practice or let off some steam. There were already a couple of students inside who were sparring, and Houki found herself watching. It wasn't out of intrigue, but rather fond memories surfacing in her mind once more.

Her mind went back to when her and Ichika had spent a lot of their childhood days together, practicing different stances and techniques. Occasionally they would spar to put their training to the test. While Ichika put up a good fight, Houki won a lot of the time. She missed those days. She missed how she could confide in Ichika about anything, whether it be what happened at school that day, or any personal issues that existed in her life. He would simply listen and offer his input afterward, never once judging her. She missed his voice, his irresistible smile as well as his orange-red eyes and black hair. He was truly a younger spitting image of his older sister Chifuyu.

Speaking of which, Houki remembered that sometime after his disappearance, she became an instructor in Germany for a year. Not long after that, she started working at the IS Academy. The teen wondered if she would have the older Orimura as an instructor. Ridding herself of those thoughts, she turned to leave as she wanted to go eat lunch before grabbing her kendo sticks to go practice.

…..

…..

"There certainly are a lot of incoming first-years, aren't there Miss Orimura?" Maya inquired as she observed the clusters of students wandering around campus from the staff workroom window.

"Indeed. More than usual," Chifuyu agreed as she was typing away at her computer. "While it means being more responsible for more students, I am certainly glad to see this many girls wanting to attend."

"Yes, I agree. Do you know of anyone who might be attending the academy this year?"

"Tabane told me Houki would be, and that she passed the entrance exams with flying colors."

"Well, I guess that's to be expected. She is the younger sister of the inventor of the IS after all."

"According to her, Houki should've arrived today. Also, I think she may be in our class."

"Oh, that's exciting! Perhaps you two can catch up! I'm sure she'd be happy to see you!"

"Yeah…" Chifuyu certainly would be happy to see Houki, but the woman still felt guilty for what happened to Ichika. She knew Houki liked her brother, and yet she didn't have the strength to bring him back from those vile beings that took him hostage. Houki never blamed Chifuyu for what happened, but the woman still racked herself with guilt. "It'll be nice to catch up with her. At least, when we're not in class."

"I know you'll put those students to work, Miss Orimura!"

"Oh, you know I will." Chifuyu looked at her coworker and gave her a small smile before the two shared a laugh before going back to work. Not long before she resumed her typing did her smartphone ring. Looking at the screen, it was Tabane. 'Great,' she thought as she reluctantly picked up the phone. "Hello, Tabane."

"Oh, hi Chi! How's my best friend in the whole wide world doing today?" the genius spoke with excitement and speed. "Oh, how exciting to see so many first-years attending IS Academy this year! I just know you're going to put them through the ringer!" From her loud voice to how fast she was speaking as well as the way she annoyingly said her name, Chifuyu couldn't help but move the phone away a couple inches from her ear to spare it from further torture.

"Yeah, yeah, is there a reason why you called me?"

"Aw, why do you have to be so rude to me?"

"Because you're annoying."

"I may be, but deep down I know you love me, Chi!"

"Whatever. Seriously, why did you call?" At this point, there was a moment of silence, something unusual for the bubbly scientist.

"Those anomalies that I mentioned to you before? I had a chance to thoroughly analyze them." Tabane's voice employed a more serious tone, by which point Chifuyu knew that something was going on.

"Oh, yeah. What's so special about them?"

"It took me a while to sift through all the data I gathered, but what I found was most certainly worthy of your attention. These anomalies, whatever they may be, they have been appearing for the past week or so now. They all seem to appear in the atmosphere above Japan, mostly in the skies above the IS Academy."

"Do they present a threat to the academy?"

"Not that I've seen. However, they do leave behind very unique energy signatures. Chifuyu, these energy signatures… they match the same ones I analyzed five years ago, exactly when Ichika disappeared." That statement alone sent chills down Chifuyu's spine, and caused her eyes to widen significantly. She began to think it over in her head. It took her a while to even accept that he was gone. Right when she did, Tabane calls her and tells her this.

"This must be some kind of joke… he's gone, Tabane!"

"I'm being very serious, Chifuyu! I wouldn't joke about stuff like this. I know how much Ichika meant to you. I honestly don't know how this is possible, but it is. The evidence is staring right at my face. I just had to dig for it."

_Is it possible? No… it can't be. He disappeared five years ago right before my eyes! _Chifuyu thought as her mind began to overflow with emotions including confusion. She closed her eyes and began rubbing her face with her hand. _I still remember that day…_

_Five years ago_

It was time for the biggest tournament of the year, a tournament that many IS pilots enter, but only one truly comes out on top in first place. It was the second Mondo Grosso, and after having won the first, Chifuyu was confident that she would do so again this year. She had to. As he did with the first, Ichika would be watching the second.

The strongest IS pilot in the world was sitting on a bench in the locker room with only her battle suit, a white hoodie, shoes, and her IS bracelet on, consuming a large bottle of water. She rested her elbows on her knees, leaning over and looking at the floor as she contemplated the upcoming final match. It wouldn't be easy, as her opponent for this match was someone to not underestimate, but she still was confident in her ability to win. Even so, she was nervous for some reason. Perhaps it was because she had won the first Mondo Grosso, and now she has a lot of pressure to win first place again. Luckily, she knew she'd have support from her younger brother, as he had taken the initiative to attend every single match and cheer on his older sister. Today he would be there in the stands as well.

For whatever reason, her mind began to drift off to memories of Ichika and how he was very supportive of her. He was only ten, yet did everything for her like he was an adult. This included cooking, cleaning, and having the bath ready for her when she came home. She was always stern with her younger brother, raising him to be respectful and hard working. She doesn't remember the last time she had truly thanked him for his help and work. She had been so busy training for the Mondo Grosso that she rarely came home early, only during the night when he should've been asleep to go to school the next day, but decided to wait on her instead. Perhaps after this tournament, she would change that. She never was really good at expressing her gratitude.

Looking up at the clock, she noticed that she had five minutes before she had to be at her assigned bay. Putting the water bottle in her locker, she stretched out her body before making her way to the bay. As she made her way closer, she could hear the roars of the massive audience as the MC for the event was preparing them for the final match. Passing through a metallic door, she saw the arena just ahead of her in the wide open space that was the bay meant for the contestant's IS to be checked before a match. Stepping onto the designated platform, she activated her IS, causing her body to be encased inside a massive suit of armor that allowed her to tower over all the engineers inside the bay. She stood still as she allowed them to do their work as she looked ahead at the waiting arena. No doubt that her opponent on the other side was doing the same thing she was. After several minutes passed, she heard her name being called by one of the engineers who gave her a thumbs up indicating that her IS passed inspection and was ready for battle. Smiling back at the engineer, she looked forward again and erased any expression except seriousness from her face. Taking in several deep breathes, she calmed her mind to focus on the battle alone. When she received the go ahead from her communication channel, she was about to take off when a man in a black suit entered the bay in haste, catching her attention.

"Miss Chifuyu Orimura! Stand down!" the man barked. "I need to speak with you!"

…

It was such a beautiful day for the second Mondo Grosso. He couldn't have been more excited to watch his sister compete in the final match. Ichika made haste as he was walking to the arena where the match was being held. As he got closer, the area became more populated, no doubt the many spectators itching to get inside to watch the upcoming match. Unfortunately for the young boy, fate had different plans for him. As he turned to walk on the main road that led to the arena, he saw an unmarked gray van pull up to him at a fast speed, screeching its tires as the driver had slammed the brakes before the side door opened in front of the boy. Occupying the vehicle were several men in black suits who wore sunglasses. Eyeing their target, two men stepped out quickly and ran towards the boy who was looking at them in fear. Grabbing the poor boy, they made their way back to the van as Ichika struggled.

"No! Let me go! Help!" Ichika screamed as he flailed about, attempting to free himself from the strangers. "Somebody help! Chifuyu!"

"Target acquired. Heading to base," one of the men said as he closed the door.

"Good, now get that boy to shut the hell up!" the driver yelled. Obeying his request, one of the men that had captured Ichika tied a piece of cloth around the boy's head so that it covered his mouth, before placing a bag over his head to prevent him from seeing anything they didn't want him to see. In the next few seconds, Ichika could feel the van moving, but where to he did not know.

…..

This was not happening.

No.

_I must find him! But where?!_

Chifuyu had just finished comprehending the man's words that her little brother had been captured by an unknown terrorist group, most likely to make some kind of negotiation with her in regards to giving them the location of Tabane Shinonino.

"Do you have any idea where he is?" Chifuyu asked, fear overtaking her entire being. The match had been postponed, though the reason was not conveyed to the public.

"No ma'am, but we're working on it," the government agent said.

"Any leads? Anything! Please!"

"Like I said ma'am, we're working on it. I contacted a friend of mine who owes me a favor. She knows someone who apparently knows who this group is."

"And?"

"Still haven't heard-" his phone starting ringing. "Ah, there she is." He put the phone to his ear. "Did you get intel on the boy's location? Good, thanks. Yeah, I'll be sure to tell her about returning the favor." Ending the call, he looked back up at the woman who had a worried look on her face, waiting for any news on her brother. "Good news, they found him. He's in an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of the city. I'll tell you more on the way."

With a sense of newfound hope, the woman along with the agent rushed out of the room and outside, heading into a government vehicle before speeding away, followed by the local authorities. Chifuyu knew that leaving the arena caused her to forfeit the match. Her opponent would be the official winner of the second Mondo Grosso, but that didn't mean a damn thing to her. Her brother was all that mattered in this moment. She could not afford to lose him.

"Alright, any more info on the group that kidnapped him?" Chifuyu asked the agent.

"Yes ma'am. The group is a terrorist organization originating from Germany," the man began as he focused on navigating the streets with haste. "My friend back at the office told me that her contact works for the German government, and that they've had some trouble with this group back home. They have been trying to locate Dr. Tabane Shinonino so that they could capture her to force her to share the blueprints of her invention with them. Knowing your association with said individual, they figured that capturing your brother would force you to negotiate with them."

"But I have no idea where she is!"

"And we believe you, ma'am. But, they don't. What matters now is getting to the warehouse."

Several minutes later, they pulled up to said warehouse, with no one in sight on the outer perimeter. As several other agents and police officers stepped out of their cars, they pulled out their weapons and moved into formation. The agent-in-charge and Chifuyu had led the group inside. Eventually they heard a muffled voice, assuming it to be Ichika. Their assumption was confirmed as they entered the main area, where they saw several armed hostiles surrounding the poor boy who was tied to a metal chair in the middle of the area. One of the terrorists had a gun pointed at Ichika's head.

"Ah, just the woman I needed!" the man spoke as he smiled. "I knew you'd come running! This boy is important to you after all. No need for this to get messy. All you need to do is tell me where Dr. Shinonino is, and I'll release him to you unharmed. After that, you will let us walk away."

"I have no idea where she is!" Chifuyu yelled in complete rage. "And even if I did, I would never tell you."

"Wrong answer."

BANG!

The terrorist had fired his pistol, though it was aimed at the ground. Moving it back up to Ichika's head, he pushed the barrel onto the boy's skin causing him discomfort from the heat emanating from the barrel.

"Now, I'm not going to ask again. Give us her location, or I'm not missing with this next fucking bullet!"

It was an intense situation as Chifuyu was being honest, but these guys weren't backing down. She had no way to bargain with him, and if any one of the officers, agents or herself had moved an inch, this rescue attempt would be useless. Several seconds had passed by as no one dared make a move, even if both sides had their weapons aimed at each other.

"Okay. Clearly you do not value your brother's life. You have forced my hand." The terrorist was just about to pull the trigger, making Chifuyu's eyes widen in horror before a gunshot was fired, though fortunately, her brother was not the victim. Turning her eyes to the left, some of the officers had managed to sneak around and ambush the group, allowing the front group to begin their assault. Immediately, Chifuyu deployed her IS and rushed with all the speed she could muster towards the man that held her brother hostage. Before she could attack him, however, he held up something in his hands that made everyone stop in their tracks.

"Stop! One more move, and I will arm this!"

"What the hell is that?!" Chifuyu yelled.

"It's a useful little toy that our group made not too long ago. It's a singularity grenade. It's a prototype, but basically once it explodes, it has the capability to generate enough force to create a singularity that draws in any target within its effective radius. It would make you all very easy targets. In theory, that is. Wanna test it?"

"You asshole!"

"Okay. Have it your way!" The man pushed the button, threw the grenade on the ground and ordered his men to run away. Rushing from the action, the grenade exploded causing the officers and agents nearby to fly back, falling onto the ground. Then, a small singularity formed where the explosion had occurred. Chifuyu had rushed around it towards the back where all the terrorists were. She used her sword to slash at her enemies, being careful to not inflict any lethal wounds. With all the terrorists lying on the floor in pain, she looked behind her to see a horrific sight. Her brother had been freed from the metal chair he was tied down to, but he was close to the singularity. He started to gravitate towards it against his own will, trying his best to fight the invisible force.

"Big sis, help me!" Ichika cried as he clawed at the ground to try and pull himself away from the singularity, but to no avail.

"I'm coming, hold on!" Chifuyu yelled as she started running. _I have to be careful. If I get too close, I'll be pulled in too, and then we'll both be screwed! _Making her way towards the singularity, she calculated when she would sprint towards Ichika while maintaining a safe distance away from the anomaly so as to not get pulled in. Going with her gut, she ran full speed toward her brother as she held out her hand. "Grab my hand!" Ichika did as he was told.

He missed.

"I'm trying!" Unfortunately, the boy was too close to the singularity. The chair that he had been tied to disappeared into the singularity, confirming her worst fears. Much to her dismay, the unthinkable happened.

"BIG SIS!"

"NOOOO! ICHIKA!"

The singularity had dissipated after swallowing the poor boy. Chifuyu stared at the space that the anomaly occupied.

Her brother was gone.

…..

…..

_Present_

"Please send me everything you have found, Tabane. I want to see for myself," Chifuyu replied with a tinge of hope, even if said hope seemed false.

"Okay… done. Check your email. I'll be in touch." With the call having ended, Chifuyu put her phone down.

"What did she say?" Maya asked as she looked at her coworker. Chifuyu had opened up her email on her computer, seeing an email from an unknown source containing a PDF. Opening it, the information displayed on her screen had her eyes opening wide in disbelief.

"Oh my God…"

"What? What did she say? And what is that?"

"She… she said those anomalies that have been appearing lately…"

"Yeah? What about them?" Turning around, Chifuyu faced her coworker and looked at her with a shocked expression.

"They match the one that had swallowed Ichika that day."

Her coworker shared the same expression as her.

Unbeknownst to them, or anybody at the IS Academy, a mysterious portal opened up miles above the water nearby the school. A few seconds passed by as a figure came out from under, falling to the water. The portal then closed leaving no visual evidence of its brief appearance.


End file.
